bananapehl777
CarAudio.com Newbie
Hi all,
I am having some issues with transmission in my Subaru, and it's actually been a problem since I've had my audio system installed, I just didn't think it was due to the aftermarket audio system (I replaced valve body and have done countless fluid changes, had it diagnosed by dealers and other shops and they could find nothing wrong with the transmission, put $2k down the drain trying to figure it out). The big issue is that when I am accelerating and moving through the gears (like moving on from a light), the transmission will shift very weird -- like someone who does not know how to shift a manual; it feels like the computer messed up how to shift the gear appropriately and the car bucks. It does this only when I have my system turned on full tilt and playing bass, it will never do it if I have the system turned down or off. I've posted about my setup in the past, from this thread: https://www.caraudio.com/threads/ho-alternator-idle-conundrum.608986/. Everything is still pretty much the same now. Here is a diagram of how the subwoofer amplifier and important electrical wiring is. All electrical connections (grounds, battery conditions) are freshly cleaned, corrosion free, and are stripped of paint. All wires in diagram are 1/0 AWG except for the labeled 4 AWG. Battery voltage can dip into the mid 13s for a very brief moment when engine is revved around 2-3k RPM when bass note starts, then immediately jumps back to above 14 V.
I have set the amplifier gain using the multi-meter method measuring voltage across the subwoofers while playing a 40 Hz test tone (V = sqrt(Power*Resistance) - 34.6 V = sqrt(1200 W * 1 ohm)), so I don't believe I am clipping the signal.
I am at a loss what to do especially since I want to put a bigger system in someday, and it prevents me from really enjoying the system's full capabilities to the point where I don't turn it up at all because I don't want to damage the transmission. I have heard I need a cap or that I should bypass the grounds to the body and instead run dedicated ground wires, yet the car audio shop I go to said not to. I am assuming most people are able to drive their cars normally with these big systems installed playing at full volume and have no drivability issues? What am I missing?
I am having some issues with transmission in my Subaru, and it's actually been a problem since I've had my audio system installed, I just didn't think it was due to the aftermarket audio system (I replaced valve body and have done countless fluid changes, had it diagnosed by dealers and other shops and they could find nothing wrong with the transmission, put $2k down the drain trying to figure it out). The big issue is that when I am accelerating and moving through the gears (like moving on from a light), the transmission will shift very weird -- like someone who does not know how to shift a manual; it feels like the computer messed up how to shift the gear appropriately and the car bucks. It does this only when I have my system turned on full tilt and playing bass, it will never do it if I have the system turned down or off. I've posted about my setup in the past, from this thread: https://www.caraudio.com/threads/ho-alternator-idle-conundrum.608986/. Everything is still pretty much the same now. Here is a diagram of how the subwoofer amplifier and important electrical wiring is. All electrical connections (grounds, battery conditions) are freshly cleaned, corrosion free, and are stripped of paint. All wires in diagram are 1/0 AWG except for the labeled 4 AWG. Battery voltage can dip into the mid 13s for a very brief moment when engine is revved around 2-3k RPM when bass note starts, then immediately jumps back to above 14 V.
I have set the amplifier gain using the multi-meter method measuring voltage across the subwoofers while playing a 40 Hz test tone (V = sqrt(Power*Resistance) - 34.6 V = sqrt(1200 W * 1 ohm)), so I don't believe I am clipping the signal.
I am at a loss what to do especially since I want to put a bigger system in someday, and it prevents me from really enjoying the system's full capabilities to the point where I don't turn it up at all because I don't want to damage the transmission. I have heard I need a cap or that I should bypass the grounds to the body and instead run dedicated ground wires, yet the car audio shop I go to said not to. I am assuming most people are able to drive their cars normally with these big systems installed playing at full volume and have no drivability issues? What am I missing?
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